PM announces first Turkish sarellite to be launched in 2012

Turkey plans to launch its first intelligence gathering satellite into space in 2012, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday. Speaking to fellow members of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, Erdogan said the Gokturk intelligence satellite will ease Turkey's reliance on US intelligence in its operations against the terrorist PKK, which launches attacks on Turkish military targets from bases in northern Iraq. The satellite is being developed by Turkish defense contractor Aselsan and Telespazio, a division of Italy's Finmeccanica.